A Jefferson man faces 18 counts of animal cruelty after animal control officers said his neglect led to the deaths of eight cows and calves on his farm.
Eric Sidney Arnold, 81, who lives at and owns the farm in the 3900 block of Lander Road, was first approached by officers from the Frederick County Division of Animal Control on Oct. 10, two days after someone called to report a cow carcass on the property. Animal control officers saw two dead adult cows and two calf carcasses while walking around the property line on Oct. 8, according to court charging documents. Over the next month, a veterinarian rated the animals’ health on a scale where a score of one indicated extreme malnourishment, five was a healthy weight and nine indicated obesity.
Never saw this problem with the grass-fed beef at Hedgeapple or England Acres farms among the others we have patronized -- despite receiving massive rain this last year. There's a farm in Point of Rocks that raises breeding & beef cattle on leased county land without emaciated animals or carcasses strewn about.
He could also be getting delusional with age and thinking he fed them when he didn't. He may not want to admit it or even truly believe he did nothing wrong and is being attacked. Either way they did the right thing. He needs a wake-up call.
Yes tdeater I did. My parents moved us up from Baltimore renting a house on a farm in Woodfield Md. We were the only resident of the farm with the owner and sons living elsewhere. They the owners came daily caring for the cows and I as a youngster became interested in the operation. At 11 years old the owner and sons saw how eager I was and offered me 35 cents an hour to perform after school duties of about 2 hrs counting the herd feeding and checking fence lines once a week. Did`t have to worry about suppling water to the cows for Seneca creek ran though the property. One cow by count was missing and when locating the beast I found she had wondered into a swampy area stuck half way up her legs in swamp mud. Called Mr. Watkins informing him of the situation. Doc explained to me that as upsetting it maybe to me nothing can be done for it was several failed attempt in previous recuses in the farms history and just had to let it go. Cafes turned in a position the mother could not deliver naturally on her on died in the middle of night. Its the ups and downs in farming and life goes on. Now days you have these suburban/city squatters wanting to move/live in country life and some finding a development backing up to a farm. How beautiful and lucky we are to have found a place such as this they say. Then when they see a side of farming life with their bug-eyes and without confronting the farmer to understand the reasoning of something they have little or no knowledge of call, the authorities. Patiently they wait with their bug-eyes out to see and find to what they thought was a rescue turned out in recking a farmers life being spectators that should of educated their selfs in farming before buying and moving into country life.
The horrible condition these animals were found in was no act of God. Authorities should have intervened immediately. Animals may have limited means to express themselves, but severely ematiated bodies scream abuse & neglect. You don’t need a vet to diagnose starvation. Cow carcasses strewn about the farm were also giant red flags. Tragic! Some survived, thankfully. I wish them food, drink & peace.
No, but many of my relatives did and some still do. They would never have allowed this to happen. One day, one of the barns on the edge of town burned to the ground, Lit up the sky for a long ways around. We used to go there all of the time, helped some with the miking, played in the hay loft and went to other farms of relatives too. Two of my nephews converted their farm to a lumber business and are glad that they did, there is no money in farming these days.
He's 81 years old and has lived on the farm since he was 3 yet he's just now learning that rain reduces the nutritional value of pasturage. This is some kind of defense? That it's all new to him?
I agree with Marylandmirage that punishing the farmer would serve no purpose. The public shaming is punishment enough. I'm sure that he didn't intentionally mistreat his animals, they are his livelihood.
Sounds like our animal control dropped the ball, as usual. They should have removed the cattle earlier and not waited so long This is not the first time they have failed an animal in this county.
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(12) comments
Never saw this problem with the grass-fed beef at Hedgeapple or England Acres farms among the others we have patronized -- despite receiving massive rain this last year. There's a farm in Point of Rocks that raises breeding & beef cattle on leased county land without emaciated animals or carcasses strewn about.
He could also be getting delusional with age and thinking he fed them when he didn't. He may not want to admit it or even truly believe he did nothing wrong and is being attacked. Either way they did the right thing. He needs a wake-up call.
Yes tdeater I did. My parents moved us up from Baltimore renting a house on a farm in Woodfield Md. We were the only resident of the farm with the owner and sons living elsewhere. They the owners came daily caring for the cows and I as a youngster became interested in the operation. At 11 years old the owner and sons saw how eager I was and offered me 35 cents an hour to perform after school duties of about 2 hrs counting the herd feeding and checking fence lines once a week. Did`t have to worry about suppling water to the cows for Seneca creek ran though the property. One cow by count was missing and when locating the beast I found she had wondered into a swampy area stuck half way up her legs in swamp mud. Called Mr. Watkins informing him of the situation. Doc explained to me that as upsetting it maybe to me nothing can be done for it was several failed attempt in previous recuses in the farms history and just had to let it go. Cafes turned in a position the mother could not deliver naturally on her on died in the middle of night. Its the ups and downs in farming and life goes on. Now days you have these suburban/city squatters wanting to move/live in country life and some finding a development backing up to a farm. How beautiful and lucky we are to have found a place such as this they say. Then when they see a side of farming life with their bug-eyes and without confronting the farmer to understand the reasoning of something they have little or no knowledge of call, the authorities. Patiently they wait with their bug-eyes out to see and find to what they thought was a rescue turned out in recking a farmers life being spectators that should of educated their selfs in farming before buying and moving into country life.
The horrible condition these animals were found in was no act of God. Authorities should have intervened immediately. Animals may have limited means to express themselves, but severely ematiated bodies scream abuse & neglect. You don’t need a vet to diagnose starvation. Cow carcasses strewn about the farm were also giant red flags. Tragic! Some survived, thankfully. I wish them food, drink & peace.
anyone else raise cows?
No, but many of my relatives did and some still do. They would never have allowed this to happen. One day, one of the barns on the edge of town burned to the ground, Lit up the sky for a long ways around. We used to go there all of the time, helped some with the miking, played in the hay loft and went to other farms of relatives too. Two of my nephews converted their farm to a lumber business and are glad that they did, there is no money in farming these days.
He's 81 years old and has lived on the farm since he was 3 yet he's just now learning that rain reduces the nutritional value of pasturage. This is some kind of defense? That it's all new to him?
I agree with Marylandmirage that punishing the farmer would serve no purpose. The public shaming is punishment enough. I'm sure that he didn't intentionally mistreat his animals, they are his livelihood.
This is a tragic story all the way around. Not sure punitive action on an 81 year old man is going to accomplish anything.
Age should exempt him from animal cruelty? If he can't take care of them, he shouldn't have them.
It's tragic. But we haven't had a year this wet for as long as weather has been tracked. Grass fed beef isn't as fatty to begin with.
Sounds like our animal control dropped the ball, as usual. They should have removed the cattle earlier and not waited so long This is not the first time they have failed an animal in this county.
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Engage ideas. This forum is for the exchange of ideas, not personal attacks or ad hominem criticisms.
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Be civil. Don't threaten. Don't lie. Don't bait. Don't degrade others.
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No spamming. This is not the place to sell miracle cures.
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Say it once. No repetitive posts, please.
Help us. Use the 'Report' link for abusive posts.